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Professional Development

Editor's Note: Invest in employee development by offering professional growth opportunities.

Marta MoakleyOverview: Employees seeking to build a career, and not simply satisfy job requirements, will focus on their options for professional development. These employees will not only perform their job responsibilities adequately, but will look to expand their job duties, explore special projects and compete for promotional opportunities.

An employee's professional development can occur through on-the-job training, through in-house employee training and development, or through outside certification or degree programs. Therefore, employers should offer sound training and development packages and institute career planning policies that will communicate to employees the organization's commitment to employee growth. Allowing employees to continue their professional education, either through the maintenance of certification requirements (such as CEUs or CLEs) or the procurement of advanced certification, leads to a richer pool of in-house leaders.

Trends: Employers offering educational assistance programs to employees must stay abreast of changes in federal and state tax laws setting tax-free contribution limits and specifying certain excluding circumstances.

Author: Marta Moakley, JD, Legal Editor

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About This Topic

HR guidance on the benefits of professional development.

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